Mangaluru, Jan 9, 2016: As per an official indication, statues of St.Joseph Vaz and St Mariam Baouardy, are to be permanently erected at the main entrance of the the Rosario Cathedral on Jan 10, Sunday. Both saints lived and worshiped at Rosario, Mangaluru.

Bishop of Mangalore, Rev Aloysius Paul D’Souza, will celebrate the solemn Eucharistic mass on January 10 at 8.am. After the mass (around 9.am), the statues will be ceremoniously installed at the entrance of the main door of the Cathedral.

St Joseph Vaz : Was ’Vicar of Canara’ from 1681 to 1684. During his stay the saint Vaz undertook a series of missionary activities in Canara especially in Mangaluru. He is said to have renovated Rosario Church in his times. He later went to Ceylon and is known as Apostle of Sri Lanka. Pope Francis canonized Joseph Vaz on January 14, 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

St. Mariam Baouardy : With other two cloistered Carmel nuns and three Apostolic Carmel nuns landed at Bunder, Mangaluru from France on November 19, 1870, via Madras, Vellore and Calicut. The then Bishop Marie Ephrem welcomed them officially at Rosario Cathedral. Sr. Mariam Baouardy left Mangaluru on September 23, 1872. Pope John Paul II beatified here on November 13, 1983 and Pope Francis canonized her on May 17, 2015. An event marked in the city.

Tele Film to be screened : On Jan 10 Sunday evening at 6 pm, the first Kannada Tele film on Saint St Joseph Vaz produced and directed by Vinod Gangolli, with several local people participating will be released at the Rosario grounds. Bishop Rev Aloysius Paul D’Souza will preside over the function. Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu, Vicar General, J R Lobo, MLA Mangaluru City South will be the chief guest.